Rationalizing My Supplies

Due to the nature of my cares, I rely on multiple supplies in order to be more independent along with attending to my needs being on a ventilator. This may include parts to my ventilator, sterile gloves, trach supplies, syringes etc. They also provide all of my equipment that I use on a daily basis, such as my suction machine and vent. I have medical insurance which covers most of the supplies that I need.

Every month, the nurses check my inventory to see what I’m low on with supplies. They then have an ordering sheet that they go off of that shows how many supplies insurance allots and pays for each month. Based on that, they can put in the number of supplies needed but not go over the allotted amount. At the end of each month, the order sheet gets faxed in to the supply company and they ship the supplies to my house during the first week of the month.

 

Unfortunately when I use more of something than I usually do during any given month, the supply of that item runs out and I can’t order it until the following month. This is the reason for having to rationalize my supplies for certain things while I can. If I need it bad enough, I have to use a different style or pay for it myself. I’ve heard of other people having to do this as well; and if they don’t have a way to pay they just go without.
 

One specific item that I use more frequently throughout a 24 hour period is suction catheters. Looking back, I saw a post I wrote in 2013 that said I was only suctioning every couple of days. Based off certain times, like if I have a respiratory infection depends on how frequently I suction and how many catheters I use. Now it’s more like 7-10 times in a 24-hour period. I brought this item up because I’ve been running out of them before my allotted number per month.

Jenni